Industries Urged To Protest Limits On Metal Discharges

Allentown officials called on Lehigh County industries yesterday to protest "unreasonable" proposed state limitations on metal discharges into the regional sanitary sewer system.

If the same kind of standards were to apply to householders, they wouldn't be allowed to use borax products, shampoos containing zinc phthalic, garbage disposals (because of minerals in vegetables) and vitamins with zinc or iron.

Even the copper content in the drinking water coming out of the tap exceeds the standards set by the state Department of Environmental Resources.

"If we were to shut down every industry, the copper in the water still would put us four times over the limit," said Daniel E. Koplish, superintendent of the Kline's Island sewage treatment plant.

William J. Engle, manager of water resources, said the city and industry must unite "to combat requirements that are unreasonable."

"The numbers are so severe, they are unattainable," Engle told about 50 representatives of industry at a meeting in City Hall. "It would be a severe financial hardship on you to meet the requirements."

He advised them "to spend 66 cents now and maybe save thousands of dollars later" by sending letters to DER, their state senators and state representatives, expressing their concern about the proposed limitations. Comments must be presented to DER by March 31.

"We have to be fair to the people on our system," Engle said. "We've got to work together, or we're going to get beaten."

Industries connected to the system leading into the Kline's Island plant will be required to control the sewage flowing from their operations according to DER specifications by Oct. 1, 1986.

The Kline's Island plant is not designed to treat inorganic products and, therefore, the industries must take care of the treatment.

That means that they will have to install equipment or change the products entering the sewer system at the location of their plants and at their expense.

Donald M. Bernhard, community development director, remarked, "I'm concerned with the economic development effects. It certainly is not going to increase our competitiveness by telling prospective industries they are going to be violating the law when you open your plant."

He contacted DER Secretary Nicholas DeBenedictis and other DER officials to explain the problems with the new standards.

"They said they are continuing to review it," Bernhard said.

Engle when city officials spoke to DER officials in Norristown, "We didn't receive any satisfaction at all. The response was completely negative."

He said a letter has been sent to Gov. Thornburgh to apprise him of the problem.

Engle and Koplish said they do not disagree with the intent of the DER requirements to lessen the strength and metal content of the sewage. But they said they were surprised by the "unrealistic" severity of the requirements of the industrial waste pre-treatment program.

The inflow of such metals as silver (which is in drinking water), boron and beryllium would not be permitted at all.

Industries also will be barred from permitting storm water to enter the sanitary sewerage.

"That will mean a separate storm sewer system if you don't have one," Engle said.

One of the industry representative noted that chrome, cadmium and iron are not on the DER list.